U.S. History IIThe Last Decades of the Century (1970s to 2000)D2.His.14.9-12
A World After the Cold War
The U.S. led a coalition in the Gulf War (1991), joined NAFTA (in force 1994), took part in NATO operations in Bosnia (1995) and Kosovo (1999), and faced new questions about its role as the only superpower.
With the Soviet Union gone by the end of 1991, the United States was the world's only superpower. Presidents George H. W. Bush (1989 to 1993) and Bill Clinton (1993 to 2001) had to decide when and how to use that power.
🔑 Key idea
The U.S. led a coalition in the Gulf War (1991), joined NAFTA (in force 1994), took part in NATO operations in Bosnia (1995) and Kosovo (1999), and faced new questions about its role as the only superpower.
💡 Why it works
When Iraq's Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Bush built a coalition of about 35 nations, won a UN Security Council resolution, and asked Congress to authorize force, which it did in January 1991. Operation Desert Storm began with an air campaign on January 17, 1991; a ground war of about 100 hours freed Kuwait, and a cease-fire came on February 28. Later in the decade the questions were harder. In Somalia, a mission to feed famine victims turned into fighting, and U.S. troops left after 18 soldiers were killed in Mogadishu in 1993. In 1994 the world, including the U.S., did not intervene as hundreds of thousands of people were killed in Rwanda. In the former Yugoslavia, NATO air strikes in 1995 helped bring the Dayton Accords for Bosnia, and in 1999 a 78-day NATO air campaign forced Serbian forces out of Kosovo.
Trade linked the economies. The North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1992 and passed by Congress in 1993 with votes from both parties, took effect January 1, 1994, removing most tariffs among the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The World Trade Organization followed in 1995. Supporters pointed to cheaper goods and growing exports; opponents, including many labor unions, warned of lost manufacturing jobs.
Work it through
✏️ Worked example: Comparing two interventions
How did the Gulf War (1991) differ from the Kosovo campaign (1999)?
Gulf War: the UN Security Council authorized force, Congress voted to authorize it, and a large ground war freed Kuwait.
Kosovo: NATO acted without a new UN Security Council resolution, by air power alone, to stop attacks on civilians.
Both were coalitions led by the U.S.
Answer: UN-authorized ground war versus NATO air war.
⚠️ Common mistake
Many students think the end of the Cold War ended American military actions abroad. The 1990s saw several deployments under the UN and NATO: the Gulf, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo. Americans debated each one, and whether the country should act as a world police force at all.
NAFTA joined the U.S. economy to Canada's and Mexico's; border states such as Texas, California, Michigan and New York became major trade gateways.
Practice
Pass with 3 right answers, the last 2 in a row. Each right answer earns 2 XP.